Wave generation systems are the featured amusement at many amusement parks and aquatic theme parks throughout the world. In such applications various mechanical and pneumatic devices and apparatus have been utilized to engage and displace water at one end of the pool to create a surface wave pattern. A conventional wave generation system may be housed at a deep end of the pool with multiple caisson chambers. A ventilation system is provided within each caisson above the surface of the water therein. A source of forced air capable of effecting aspiration by applying compressed air to the surface above the water surface in the chamber is applied by conduit system. When the caissons are actuated with pressurized air the water level therein is driven down out of a lower caisson passage way and into the pool thereby creating the intended wave disturbance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,077 to Raike discloses a wave generation system of the type mentioned above. Another patent to Raike, U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,799 also describes the above type of wave generation system. In these systems, a pneumatic system including a motor driven fan that communicates selectively with duct lines to caissons through a pair of two position air directed valve assemblies. Selective actuation of the two position air directional valve assemblies between the caisson chambers allow the waves to be generated in many alternately wave shapes and patterns augmenting the utility of the installation and its amusement value to users. Waves produced in water theme parks typically operate two to three hundred hours per month. The system put forth in the two patents to Raike is well designed for a large amusement park.
However, the objective of this invention is to create a smaller pool size, usually around twenty four feet wide to eighty feet long and having a volume of water around 27,000 gallons for use in the residence, apartment, condominiums complexes and is intended for only occasional use. The 24 feet in width was chosen because that in the minimum width pool to produce a true sinusoidal was of one meter in height. One meter in height wave are ideal for acceptable raft riding and will break into a roller wave and advance to the zero water depth. Eighty feet pool length has been shown to be a good short length and slope to provide and safe and enjoyable board surfing in a shot wave pool. The inventor believes the twenty four feet by eighty feet pool represents the minimum size for a small pool with satisfactory waves with a safe and acceptable bottom slope. To achieve this objective of the pool for residential uses, pneumatic compressor and control power must run on 120 volts ac, the typical house current.
Another objective of this system is to create waves of various patterns. This is done in the commercial systems by having two or more caissons that are pressurized alternately. For the smaller pool one can use two caissons which are energized alternately or in a given sequence to produce waves in various patterns. Instead of using a valve, usually positioned above the caisson, to pressurize and depressurize the caisson in the inventor's system, the high pressure blower has a valve built within the blower assembly, a duct selector that allows for pressurizing and decompressing the duct and therefore the caisson. Supplemental air release is provided on the duct with a valve assembly at the end of the duct.
What allows the above objective to be achieved is the duct used to energize the caisson is perforated with openings along the upper half of the duct. In the conventional system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,077 to Raike, above referenced, the large volume of pressurized air necessary to rapidly charge the caisson is injected into the caisson by a nozzle positioned above the water level. The pressurized air, thus, is not evenly distributed over the surface of the water within the caisson and its focused entry into the water tends to cause turbulence as the water level is pressured downward. Undesirable turbulence degrades the quality of the generated wave and represents a system loss of pneumatic efficiency that is likewise undesirable. Thus, the need exists for a wave generator that can equally distribute and disperse pressurized air over the surface of the water within a caisson so as to result in minimal losses from turbulence and maximum pneumatic efficiency.
In the inventor's system, the pressurized air is introduced into the caisson via a duct that is perforated with openings on the top half of the duct. This duct allows air evenly distributed throughout the caisson and eliminates turbulence. By preventing turbulence the pneumatic system becomes more efficient. Due to the increase in efficiency, less air is need to move the same amount of water which allows for reducing the construction height of the caisson above water level thereby reducing the volume of space to be energized with pressurized air. This not only cuts down on the construction cost but also makes the pool much more economic when used. The decrease in the volume of air need because of the increase in pneumatic efficiency makes a small wave pool for residential use possible. The lesser volume of air necessary decrease the blower size and the caisson size thus lowering the cost of installation. This along with the lowering of cost to operate due to the smaller blower make the wave pool economical for a residential operation.
One of the major problems in adapting the existing wave generators like the one in U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,077 to Raike to a smaller scale is that the housings in which the caissons are deployed are relatively large and raise above the pools deck at the deep end. As a result, steps must be incorporated into the pool deck in order to allow for the users to transverse the perimeter of the pool. The size of the caisson housing in a conventional wave generator is a function of the relatively large air displacement requirements by the state of the art due to the turbulence caused by the injection of air and bends in the ducts. Since the cycle time of charging each caisson with pressurized air and discharging the generated wave from one caisson and exhausting the caisson is significantly short on the order of 2 seconds or less, a relatively large and excessive volume of pressurized air must be quickly injected into the caisson in order to correspondingly effectively quick movement of the water level downward. This also makes the air compressor much larger and uneconomical to purchase or use for a small installation. It is thus the objective of the invention to reduce the amount of air required to charge a caisson in a wave generating system. Such a reduction in volume of air would reduce the size of the caisson air chamber allowing for reduction of the vertical height and the lowering of the cost to build said pools. Additionally the reduction of the volume of air required to charge the wave generation caisson would enhance the system efficiently and allow the use of a smaller energy efficient fan system. In the conventional wave generation system, the large volume of pressurized air necessary to rapidly charge the caisson is injected into the caisson by a nozzle positioned above the water level causing turbulence as explained above. This turbulence lessens the efficiency of the system and necessitates a large volume of air to produce the wave. Thus, an objective of the system is to produce a wave generator that can equally distribute and dispense pressurized air over the surface of the water within the caisson so that the resulting minimal loss from turbulence and maximum pneumatic efficiency. Further, in order to supply the excessive quantity of pressurized air into the caisson, current system employs a high capacity fan system which distributes the air to the caisson by an extensive system of large conduits or ducts. Such fans are expensive and noisy in operation and have high power utilization rates resulting in undesirable increase in the cost of operating the wave generation system. Thus, the objective of the invention is to create a wave generator that produces a quieter, low powered fan unit that efficiently distributes pressurized air into the caisson through an efficient, bend free conduit system. The feature that allows this to be done is a duct system used to energize the caisson is perforated with openings along the upper half of the duct. The duct allows air to evenly distribute throughout the caisson and eliminates turbulence and maximizes efficiency. This permits less air to be needed and allows for reduced construction height of the caisson above the water level thereby reducing the volume and space to be energized with air pressure. This lesser air pressure, of course, means that a smaller far more efficient fan unit can be used.